


005

by TheRebelRocker



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, My First AO3 Post, i just love will byers so much, takes place after season two
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-05-06 22:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14657685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRebelRocker/pseuds/TheRebelRocker
Summary: In the late fall of 1985, Will Byers and Dustin Henderson find a young girl passed out in the Quarry. Her head is shaved and she has a tattoo of the number 005 on her left wrist. With a strange girl and a new threat looming over Hawkins, witness the Party fight for their lives, old friends be reunited, and new relationships blossom.





	1. 005

Hawkins, Indiana  
November 24, 1985

 

“-- the hell did she come from?”

“I don’t know! I came outside to grab my bike to go to Mike’s house for the campaign and I just found her half sprawled out in the quarry.”

“Jesus, Will.”

“What!”

“This is the second time the party has found a random bald girl alone. Did you Supercomm Mike? And Lucas?”

“Duh, Dustin.”

I groaned groggily at the sounds going on around me.

_Too many voices..._

Wait...voices? Had the bad men from the lab found me? They’d haul me back and throw me in solitary for days on end, nothing there except rough cinder block, metal doors and my own raw screams.

My eyes snapped open and saw, to my relief, the voices only belonged to two boys, not the bad men. But anything new could mean danger, possibly being sent back to the lab, and I couldn’t go back, not when I’d only just escaped.

I stiffened, my eyes darting quickly between the boys. I scrambled to my feet quickly, hardly registering the squeak of fright one of the boys let out at my sudden movements. My bare feet squished the muddy sand as I studied the two with anticipation, trying desperately to determine if they would turn me in.  
One of them had curly hair covered by a hat, a metal frame with wheels and handles resting by his side. The other boy was shorter than the first and seemed less menacing with his puffy jacket. His hair was long with bangs at the front and another one of those metal contraptions was on the ground in front of him. His eyes were wide with alarm and in his hands I saw a bulky rectangle with a stick at the top of it, holes punched into the top and bottom, small white words were on the front of it with silver circles in the center.

My whole body was thrumming with energy as I prepared to harness my powers if threatened. My stance was staggered, fingers twitching and flexing and I felt sparks of electricity begin to form at the tips of them. I locked eyes with the smaller boy, only switching my gaze when the curly haired one snatched the rectangle thing from the other boy’s hand and began to speak into it, pacing lightly.

“Mike, Lucas, do you copy? Will and I are at the quarry. We found--”

I let out a piercing shriek, raising my open palm and my power surged forward, channeling a gust of wind to rip the rectangle from the curly boy’s hand. He let out a confused shout, watching the rectangle skid across the rough sand. Panic flooded me as my breathing became labored. He was contacting them, the bad men. They would be here any second now to take me back, put me in solitary, leave me in the Bath. A scream rose from the base of my throat and echoed off the rocky walls as clouds gathered quickly overhead.

The curly haired boy whipped around to face me. His face showed one of dawning realization as he started to speak again, “Holy shit.”

He and the smaller boy suddenly looked up at the sky as a rumble of thunder boomed and the wind picked up, causing my hospital gown to billow around me. I fixed my eyes on the dreaded rectangle and screamed, summoning a fine streak of lightning to strike the thing squarely in the center. The rectangle let out a loud crackling sound before smoking rapidly. My hands were shaking as I called off the storm, feeling fresh blood trickling from my nose.

“Fuck, my Supercomm! My mom’s gonna kill me!” The curly haired boy screeched, running over to the fried rectangle.  
A feeling of relief washed over me. There was no way he could tell the bad men about me now. I still had time. I turned to look at the smaller boy, wiping my nose of the back of my hand. His eyes flickered from the sky, to the smoking rectangle and then back to me.

“Dustin,” he spoke slowly, keeping his gaze locked with mine. “Go get Mike.”

The curly haired boy stared at the smaller boy in shock. “What? And leave you here with her? Will, you can’t be serious.”

The smaller boy kept staring at me, not turning around to face the other. “Go, Dustin. I’ve got it. Supercomm me when you get to Mike’s.”

The curly haired boy looked back and forth between the other boy and I before slowly backing away, grabbing his metal frame with wheels and pushing it up the rocky hill. “Be careful,” he called over his shoulder, glancing oddly at me.

The smaller boy nodded, still staring at me. “I will, now hurry up and get to Mike’s. And bring some of Nancy’s old clothes.”

When the curly haired boy was out of sight I let my posture loosen a bit but still stayed in my stance, hands fisted by my sides. When the boy in front of me took a small step forward, I immediately held out my hand, ready to defend myself. The boy quickly put up his hands in surrender before opening his mouth to speak.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just going to come a little closer if that’s all right.” His voice wavered a bit as he took a few small steps forward. He hesitantly began to reach for my outstretched hand and I retreated a few steps, my fingertips sparking with my growing anxiety. The boy’s eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m not going to hurt you, I swear.”

I gazed at him tentatively, opening and closing my mouth for a few moments before keeping it decidedly closed.

The boy took another step towards me, bigger this time until we were a few feet apart. “I’m Will, Will Byers. What’s your name?”

I kept my gaze locked with Will’s, slowly raising my left forearm. Will leaned forward, peering at the ink on my skin. 005.

“Five? That’s your name?” Will went to touch my arm but I wrenched it away, eyes wild. He put up his hands again. “I’m sorry. I was just looking. I’m not going to hurt you.”

I slowly lowered my hands down to my sides. My gaze became fixed on the ground and I fiddled with the end of my hospital gown. A gust of wind rushed by and I shivered.

Will quickly made his way over to me, not giving me time to react until he had unzipped his puffy jacket and put it on me. “C’mon, Five, let’s get you somewhere warm.”

I hesitated, still unsure if I could trust Will. He bent down and picked up his metal frame and I gazed at it skeptically. Will looked from me to the metal frame and back, understanding my confusion. “Oh, this? This is a bike. If you get on it and push these pedals,” Will motioned to the footholds, “then you can ride it anywhere you want. It’s much faster than walking.”

Will pushed the metal frame -- the bike -- towards me and I scurried a few feet back. He looked at me reassuringly, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear.”  
I swallowed hard before looking up at him, taking a cautious step towards the bike.

“Here,” Will said. “Get on and hold onto me.” He mounted the bike and looked back at me expectantly. “You comin’, Five?” I gave a jerky little nod before walking over and climbing on the back of Will’s bike. I slowly wrapped my arms around his middle and I felt him stiffen a bit but relax almost immediately after.

“Hold on.”


	2. Will Byers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Five take refuge in the Byers home while they wait for the rest of the Party. Will learns a bit more about the mysterious girl, Five is introduced to the concept of friends, and the two take a trip to Castle Byers.

I darted around the house looking for clean, dry clothes Five could wear while we waited for the party to come over. I grabbed one of my larger flannels and some sweatpants from my mom’s room for Five, assuming the shirt would fit her since she was so small. I was still deciding whether or not that was a good thing.

Five was slightly shorter than me by an inch or two, obviously my age, and she was extremely thin, not to mention that her hair was buzzed down to the scalp. Her blue eyes held so much fear and anxiety in them and her fair skin was scratched on her arms and legs. Who knows how long she had been wandering around in the cold with just a hospital gown. I remembered the party telling me about Eleven when she had first shown up after I went missing. She had looked just like Five. Gathering the clothes up in my arms, I swore to myself that I would find out exactly what had happened to her. 

Five was sitting rigidly on the couch in the living room, staring at the doorway I had left through as though she had been waiting for me to come back. Maybe she had.

I carefully handed the clothes over to Five considering she was still very skittish.

“Alright, these should fit for now.”

Five glanced at me through her lashes before standing. She looked around helplessly and I quickly understood. She needed somewhere to change.

“Oh, uh, sorry. Uh, follow me.”

I began to walk in the direction of the bathroom, the soft footfalls from Five sounding behind me. I splayed my hand on the bathroom door and pushed it open for her. “Here, this should give you some privacy.”

Five stepped into the bathroom, gazing around at the small space, stopping in front of the mirror.

“I’ll, uh, let you get dressed.”

I began to close the door when Five’s hand suddenly shot out, halting the door. Her eyes were wide and frightened and she shook her head, silently pleading with me to not shut the door.

“Y-you need privacy, Five. Maybe we could…” I began to slowly crack the door, “leave it like this.” Five stared at me intently before giving a small nod and let go of the door.

I made to leave when a hand grabbed my wrist. I turned around, shocked that Five had actually made first contact. She looked at me intently, leaning in close against the door.

“Thank you, Will,” she whispered.

My heart lurched when she said my name. Her voice was beautiful, quiet and meek and guarded, but incredibly sweet.

“O-oh, you can talk. That’s good. Great, actually. Uh, well, you’re welcome. After you’re dressed I can clean those scratches for you,” I managed, fiddling with my hands. Five smiled shyly at me.

“Yes,” she said and tilted her head before slowly pushing the door into a cracked position. I took that as my cue to leave, my face still warm from hearing her say my name.

When Five was finished getting dressed, she came out of the bathroom and awkwardly wandered into the living room where I had been sitting on the couch. I stood when I saw her and smiled. She looked much better in actual clothes.

“Alright let’s clean you up.”

I took her hand and led her back to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth from the hook and running it under warm water. I put some bar soap on the cloth and turned to face her.

“Okay, Five, I’m just going to wash the dirt off of your face.”

Five hesitantly stepped closer to me and I brought the washcloth to her dirtied cheek. I gently started scrubbing until the skin was pink and clean, doing the same to the rest of her face. When I was satisfied I let her look in the mirror and observe for herself. She lightly touched her cheek and smiled at her reflection. A small smile played on my lips at her reaction, it was almost like she had never seen her own reflection before. I grabbed the bottle of antiseptic and some cotton swabs from the medicine cabinet and began applying some to her arms and legs.

“Five?” I questioned while cleaning a particularly nasty looking cut, continuing once I heard her hum in response. “How did this happen?”

“Forest,” she replied easily as she began humming to herself. I took a deep breath as I finished cleaning the last cut on her calf and decided to press further.

“What were you doing in the forest?”

Her answer took a little longer this time. “Running,” she whispered, looking out the window sadly.

“Oh,” I said, not wanting to seem too eager for information. “What were you running from?”

There was a long, deafening pause and for a moment I was worried I had overstepped. I was about to backtrack when Five answered timidly.

“Bad men, Will. Very bad men.”

My heart pounded in my chest. Bad men, that’s what Eleven had called the scientists from the lab. But the lab had been shut down, for almost a year now. How could she be from the lab?

I sat down the bottle of antiseptic and stood to look Five in the eyes. “The bad men from the Hawkins Laboratory?”

Five stood, immediately going rigid, and began scanning the area frantically, as if the scientists would come and take her away. They wouldn’t, I thought. I wouldn’t let them.

“Will?”

I looked up, meeting Five’s questioning gaze.

“Yeah?”

Five tilted her head to the side. “What is ‘swear?’”

A breathy laugh escaped me. Her face was all scrunched up with confusion as she stood and swayed on her skinny legs.

“Well, a swear can be different things. Sometimes adults will tell their kids not to swear, meaning that they shouldn’t say bad words. When I said, ‘I wont hurt you, I swear,’ I meant that I promised I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Five bit her lip, messing with the sleeve of my flannel shirt. “What is ‘promise?’”

“It’s something that you can’t break, ever. At least, that’s how Mike explains it.”

“Who is Mike?”

“Mike? Oh, he’s my friend,” I said, looking at her as I stood up and turned off the bathroom light. I motioned for Five to follow me out of the bathroom. “Here, I’ll show you a picture of all my friends.”

I turned down the hall to go into my room, pushing open the door. Five looked around in awe, seemingly taking interest in my Jaws poster as she went right over to it, running her fingertips across the water line. She flexed her toes on the soft carpet and I realized I had never given her any shoes. Grabbing the picture of Mike, Lucas, Dustin and I at the science fair off my dresser, some long white socks with blue and red stripes at the top, and my old black adidas sneakers, I made my way over to the bed. I glanced over at Five who was still tracing the poster.

“Five?”

Her head immediately turned towards the sound of my voice and I smiled lopsidedly at her, patting the empty spot beside me on the bed. Five smiled, sniffled, and slowly came to sit beside me on the mattress. I carefully handed her the picture of the party, studying her reactions.

“This is Lucas,” I said, pointing at him. “He can be really skeptical at times but his heart is in the right place. And this is Dustin, you’ve already met him. That’s me and this,” I said, “is Mike.” I tapped the part of the picture where Mike was. “He’s my best friend.”

Five tilted her head again and smiled. “Friend,” she whispered. “What is ‘friend’?” 

“A friend is someone you’d do anything for,” I replied, smiling. She seemed to like the idea of friends, or, at least, my friends.

She smiled once more, tapping my picture lightly with the tip of her index finger. “Will,” she said, pleased with herself. “Will...Mike, Lucas, Dustin. Are all friends.”

I smiled widely at her. “Right! And now you’re our friend too.” Five glanced up at me, a look of surprise on her face.

“Me?” She asked and I nodded. She handed me the picture and I sat it down next to me, placing the shoes beside it.

“You. You’re my friend now and I won’t ever let the bad men get you.”

Five wrung her hands anxiously before meeting my eyes. She scooted closer to me. “Swear?” She whispered. I nodded dumbly.

“I swear.”

She smiled lightly at me, shifting on the bed and I glanced back down at her feet. I turned around to grab the shoes from my side, my hair turning with me. Five started laughing lightly and I turned back to her, shoes in hand.

Her hand was over her mouth, trying to smother her giggles and I smiled at her, plopping the shoes and socks into her lap. “What are you laughing at?” I asked, my head tilting to the side, causing Five to start laughing all over again.

She reached out toward me and lightly touched a strand of my hair, a dazzling smile stretching across her face. “Hair,” she murmured, still giggling lightly. “Soft...pretty.”

I felt my face grow warm and I looked down at my lap, mumbling to myself. The weight of the bed shifted and I looked up to see Five slowly putting on the socks, still smiling and showing off her white teeth. When she had pulled on the shoes, she turned back to face me, her eyes wide and questioning.

“What now?” She asked, pulling her legs onto the bed and tucking them underneath her, hands folded neatly in her lap. I looked upwards in thought.

“Well I could show you Castle Byers if you want,” I trailed off, glancing sideways to avoid Five’s gaze. Showing her my fort? That’s so lame, she’d never be inter--

“What is… Castle Byers?” Five asked, leaning towards me curiously and I gulped. I scooted back a few inches before clearing my throat.

“Well, it’s this fort I built with my brother after my dad left. It’s in the woods behind the house. Do you want to see it?” I realized just how hopeful my voice sounded and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. To my relief, Five nodded eagerly.

“Yes. Castle Byers, please,” she said. Her voice was no longer montone like when she first spoke to me. A smile spread across my face and I stood quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the back door. I tugged Five past the shed and into the woods, coming up quickly to Castle Byers. Looking over at Five, I was pleased to see her eyes widen and a small smile to creep to her face.

“‘Castle Byers,’ ‘H-home of Will the Wi-Wise,’” she read from the pieces of flat wood that served as signs. “‘All friends welcome.’” Five nodded decisively and turned to me. “Nice,” she said slowly. “Very nice.”

In that moment, I became even more proud of the makeshift fort built out of branches and old tarps with a mattress stuffed inside. Five liked it; she actually liked it.

“C’mon, I’ll show you the inside,” I said giddily, pushing the curtain to the side. “But in order to get in, you have to know the secret password. It’s ‘Radagast.’”

Five nodded, trying to sputter out the name. “R-Rada-Ra…”

I smiled reassuringly at her. “Yeah, you got it. Sound it out. Say it with me...Ra--”

“--da--,” she said, face screwed up in concentration. “--gast.” Her face immediately broke out into a grin, looking at me hopefully and I laughed. 

“Yeah, Five, that’s exactly it.”

Five giggled, clapping her hands together lightly. “R-Radagast,” she stuttered in a sing-song voice. “Radagast, Radagast, Ra-Radagast.”

Beaming at her once more I nodded and led her inside the fort. It was small but cozy and gave a little protection or warmth from the autumn winds. The mattress in the back of it was loaded with blankets and a few pillows, many of my drawings covering the makeshift walls. I kicked one of the many comic books out of the way lightly. Five gazed around the fort in curiosity before picking up a comic and flipping through it.

“Those are the X-Men,” I explained when she looked over at me, confused. I pointed to some of the pictures. “They all have really cool abilities, kinda like you.”

Five gave me a sad smile and slowly looked away, handing me the comic book.

“No, Will,” she whispered softly. “Not like me.”


	3. 005

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five tries pizza for the first time, Will gives her a nickname, and the Party makes an appearance.

When Will had finished showing me his Castle Byers, he took me back into the house and headed towards the kitchen. I sat on the couch, looking at the shaded window keeping me from sight, waiting for Will to come back. He had said I should eat to keep my strength up and went to find me something, making loud banging noises and talking to himself in a quiet voice. Eventually he came back holding a plate with a triangle on it. When he handed me the plate, I saw multiple large circles on the surface of the triangle and I looked over at Will, making a face.

He shifted from foot to foot before sitting down beside me. “Sorry,” he said guiltily. “We only had pepperoni. But I did heat it up for you so it wouldn’t be cold.”

I motioned my head to the food in question, “What?” Will looked at me like I was crazy.

“You have had pizza before, right?” He asked, a serious look on his face and I shook my head slowly.

“Pizza?”

Will’s eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. “Oh, my gosh, you have to try it. It’s so good.”

I hesitantly picked up the triangle and glanced at Will skeptically. He nodded jerkily and leaned forward in anticipation as I took a small bite and then froze. Will was right, it _was_  good. I took another bite, bigger this time and looked over at Will who had a triumphant smile on his face.

“Good?”

I nodded at him enthusiastically, “Yes. Good.”

I didn’t bother to see his response, too busy eating. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was. Pizza was good. Very good. I began to munch on the end and looked up to find Will gone. I tilted my head, chewing slowly. Once I finished I quietly called out his name.

“Will?”

No response. An uneasy feeling came over me and I sat the plate beside me, standing up from the couch.

“Will,” I called again. “Will?”

I turned down the hall and peeked my head into his room. I saw him holding another one of those rectangles and talking into it.

“No, she’s still pretty freaked out. I don’t think she’d be comfortable with that, Dustin. She can sleep here tonight. I don’t think my mom would mind, guys. Shut up, Mike, I’m not--” Will cut off mid-sentence as he turned around, suddenly facing me. His eyes widened and he said a quick goodbye into the rectangle before tossing it behind him and holding up his hands. My eyes filled with tears and my breathing started to grow heavier. I could feel my fingertips starting to spark.

“Five, it’s not what you think. I wasn’t contacting anyone bad, just my friends. I swore I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, okay?” Will took a hesitant step toward me, one hand pushing the door open wider, reaching out towards me slowly. My bottom lip trembled. Had he tried to turn me in? Was he just lying to buy some time for the bad men?

“Five, I wouldn’t put you in danger like that. Please, you have to believe me,” Will pleaded, grabbing my hand gently. I met his eyes and held his stare for a minute before giving him a brief nod.

Will let out an audible sigh and pulled me to him, hugging me. I stilled for a moment, unsure of what to do, before slowly moving my arms to wrap around him.

I buried my face in his shoulder, enjoying the way his soft hair tickled my face. Will pulled back and went to grab the rectangle from his bed. My shoulders stiffened and he turned to face me, taking note of my posture, and held out the rectangle towards me.

“I won’t use it unless you’re in the room, okay?”

“Swear?” I questioned.

A smile played on Will’s lips. “Yeah,” he said, “I swear.”

My body relaxed and I let out a sigh of relief. Will looked at me and back to his rectangle, tossing it lightly in his hand before walking past me to the door. “C’mon, Five, the others should be here soon.”

“Mike?” I asked and Will glanced over his shoulder at me. He nodded and smiled again.

“Yep, Mike and the others. You’ll get to meet the whole Party.”

Will led us into the kitchen and I began to look around at everything, observing the strange objects for the first time. I walked over to the table in the middle of the room as I caught a glimpse of something on the surface. There were papers with letters and numbers but the letters didn’t make up any familiar words. I tilted my head at the papers strewn on the table before turning to Will. I pointed at the papers. “What?” I questioned.

Will stared at me, mouth open before shaking his head a little. “I-I’m sorry?”

I picked up a piece of paper and handed it to him. “What?”

“O-oh, this? This is math. See all these numbers? You put them together to see what they equal. I’m pretty good at it.” Will stuttered out. He glanced back over at the table before smiling at me. He grabbed my hand and led me back to the papers, picking up a different sheet as he sat down his rectangle.

“This is Latin. It’s a different language but no one speaks it anymore so everyone calls it a dead language. My Latin teacher gets really mad when people say it to his face though. We’ve actually been learning numbers in Latin too. Unus is one, duo is two, tres is three, quattuor is four, quinque is five…” Will began to trail off. I studied his face, enjoying the way his face lit up in excitement as he turned to me.

“I have an idea, Five.” Will smiled at me, hopeful. I smiled back at him. He was bouncing on his feet, his hair moving along with him. “Well, the number five in Latin is quinque so what if we called you Quinn for short? Like a nickname?”

He looked so excited. I grinned at him and sounded it out, “Q-Quinn.”

“You like it?”

I smiled shyly at Will, nodding. My face warmed as he beamed at me, his smile so wide it was blinding.

“Alright,” he said breathlessly. “Quinn it is.” Will glanced around the room a bit before setting his eyes on a big white block. “Want to see some more of my drawings?”

I followed his line of sight to where different colored circles were keeping pieces of paper stuck to the white block. Will jogged over to it and removed some of the paper before placing one piece in my hand. “My mom always insists on keeping some on the fridge, it’s kinda embarrassing.”

My eyes scanned one picture after another, each better than the last. “Will,” I whispered. He glanced up at me nervously, fiddling with the end of his shirt.

“Yeah?”

I looked up at him. “Good. These are good.”

Will’s face flushed a light pink and he lightly kicked at the floor with his shoe. “T-thanks. I could...I could make you one if you’d like…”

My eyes widened and I nodded vigorously. “Yes,” I said and Will smiled. “Okay then,” he hummed and motioned for me to follow him back to the table. He grabbed a piece of blank paper and a pencil from his pile of papers and sat down in a chair. I peeked over his shoulder to see him start to sketch a head, stopping at the shoulders. He had just started to start on the nose when a sloppy knock came from the front door.

“Will, are you there?” An unfamiliar voice called and the doorknob jiggled. I spun around, eyes wild; my hands rose palms up and I curled my sparking fingers lightly towards my face. My head lowered as I focused on the brass knob. My shoulders began to shake as the knob started glowing red with heat. The doorknob started to move again but stopped immediately, a yelp sounding from outside.

“What the shit?” That voice sounded familiar. Will stood up and pulled my arm lightly, breaking my concentration.

“Five, those are my friends, not the bad men! What happened?”

“The freakin’ doorknob feels like lava that’s what!” The voice called again. Will sighed and turned to me.

“Five, you can’t burn the doorknob,” he scolded lightly and I scowled, wiping the blood from my nose on the sleeve of my shirt. “I know you’re scared but you can’t start burning or electrocuting everyone who makes you uncomfortable,” Will explained as he grabbed an oven mitt from the kitchen. He ran to the door and began to turn the still warm doorknob.

“All elements,” I answered indignantly. Will turned his head towards me, the door halfway open and the curly haired boy from before, Dustin, shouldered his way into the house. He was cradling his right hand with his left, glaring at Will accusingly. Other people pushed past the door and Will staggered back, still looking at me.

“What did you say, Five?” He asked as he approached me, taking off the oven mitt and shoving it at Dustin’s chest. Dustin let out a grunt and grabbed at the oven mitt, trying desperately to keep it from falling.

“The elements,” I sniffed, tugging on the sleeves of the flannel I was wearing. “Can control all the elements.”

Will’s mouth opened and closed rapidly. Just as he started to vocalize his thoughts a feminine voice called out from the group of kids behind him.

“Five?”

My head snapped to the left in shock. I hadn’t heard that voice in two years. It couldn’t be…

“Eleven?”


	4. Will Byers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five meets the Party, gets new clothes, and informs everyone on what she was running away from. And it's not just the bad men...

I whipped around to see Eleven push past Mike and Dustin, an awed look on her face as she stared at Five. I looked back at Five who was walking slowly past me, eyes wide as she gave El a once over in disbelief.

“Five, is it really you?” El breathed, reaching slowly for Five. Five nodded slowly, as if in a trance.

“I thought you were gone,” Five said shakily. “Papa said you were gone.”

Eleven pulled Five into a hug, which Five reciprocated eagerly. “Sister,” Eleven whispered. Five’s shoulders shook as she hugged Eleven tighter to her.

“Sister.”

I gaped at the two girls. So they did know each other after all. But Hawkins Lab was shut down a year ago, how come Five only surfaced now? Was another monster loose? Oh, God. If another monster had been unleashed on Hawkins, it would be even harder to cover it up a third time.

Five pulled away from Eleven, still gripping El’s arms, and turned to face the Party. A nervous smile twisted her features and she gave a sheepish wave with one hand.

“H-hello,” she stuttered, her eyes skimming over each member of the Party until they settled on Mike. Five turned back to me and let go of Eleven, a large smile on her face. “Friends, Will.”

Mike shot me a puzzled look as Eleven moved to stand next to him, grabbing her hand and interlacing their fingers. I waved a hand dismissively and walked up next to Five.

“Guys, this is Five,” I gestured to the anxious girl next to me. “Or, Quinn as a sort of nickname.”

Five lowered her head and wrung her hands a bit, finally deciding to stuff them into the pockets of her sweatpants. Dustin eyed her suspiciously before looking at me.

“Why ‘Quinn?’” he asked, still rubbing his reddening palm with a grimace. I opened my mouth to respond but Max cut me off, stepping forward from behind Lucas.

“Oh, shut up, it’s a nice name,” she huffed as she strode up to Five. Five’s eyes were wide and she unconsciously began to shrink back from the fiery redhead. Max’s eyes softened and she stuck out her hand to Five.

“Quinn? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Max.

Five glanced at Max’s face, her hand, and her face once more before a small smile graced her lips. She tentatively extended her hand and grabbed Max’s, giving it a gentle shake. Max grinned and suddenly flung an arm around Five’s shoulders, causing Five to let out a yelp that Max ignored.

“I like her,” she stated, pulling Five to her side. Five let out a breathy laugh, patting Max lightly on the back. “She does need a better outfit, though.”

“What’s wrong with her outfit?” I asked indignantly. Max snorted and dropped her arm from Five’s shoulders, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Oh, nothing. If you were trying to make her look homeless, that is.”

I sighed. “Well, it’s all I had here,” I said, trying not to sound defensive.

“Which is why,” Max grinned, “we brought some backups. Mike, did you bring some of your sisters old stuff?”

Mike nodded and slid off his backpack. He unzipped it and started to pull items of clothing out, handing them to Eleven. They had brought one of Nancy’s old sweaters and some jeans. Eleven handed them to Max and the redhead held them up to Five.

“What do you think, Quinn?”

Five bit her lip and pointed to the jeans. “Yes,” she said quietly and reached out for them. Max handed them to her and Five started off toward the bathroom.

“Wait!” Max called. Five turned around, a bewildered look on her face. “Don’t you want the sweater too?” Max questioned, holding out for Five.

Five glanced over at me and smiled, shaking her head.

“No,” she answered. “I like Will’s shirt better.” She wrapped her arms around her middle protectively and started walking to the bathroom. When the door clicked shut, each member of the Party collectively looked at me and I felt my cheeks heat up.

“Uh… maybe she just thinks it’s an ugly sweater? Nancy did have terrible taste,” I tried and Lucas rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Dustin said. “What we should be talking about is why the shit another random bald girl is in your house and why you’re giving her your clothes.”

“She’s not random, she has a name--”

“Yeah, that you gave her.”

I glared at Dustin. “And the sweatpants aren’t mine, they’re my moms.”

“Oh, _that_  makes it okay then.”

“What’s your deal, why aren’t you giving her a chance?”

“Because she burned my hand!” Dustin screeched. Suddenly, his cap was pulled down over his eyes and he let out a yelp. I noticed Eleven giving Dustin the side-eye. A smile crept to my face. I guess El didn’t like someone talking badly about her sister.

“She was just scared,” I defended. “She’s just escaped from who knows where, we don’t even know who or what is after her, and she was using her powers to protect herself.”

“Do you think someone is actually after her?” Lucas asked, stepping forward. Mike put an arm protectively around Eleven.

“Brenner?”

“There’s no way, we saw him get attacked by the Demogorgon,” Dustin said.

“I’m not saying that we didn’t, I’m just saying that maybe he didn’t die and is the real reason Five ran away from wherever she was,” Mike reasoned.

“No,” a voice from behind us said quietly. I turned to see Five standing a few feet away from us, wearing the new jeans and holding the sweatpants in a little bundle. “It’s not Papa.”

I looked over my shoulder at Mike and saw Eleven visibly relax next to him. I faced Five again and noticed the fear in her features. Anxiety curled in my chest.

“The bad men?” I asked.

“Bad men?” Dustin asked, his voice rising in pitch. “There are more of them?”

Five shook her head emphatically, “Not running from just the bad men, Will.”

_Oh, God. Please, no._

A silence filled the room, all eyes were trained on Five. She looked around at us and grimaced. “A monster,” she whispered. “I let out a monster.”


	5. 005

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving at Mike’s, the Party discovers exactly what they’re up against.

We were going to Mike’s house. I didn’t know why, but Will said maybe we could find something useful from a game they all played. Wordlessly, I climbed on the back of Will’s bike as the others mounted their own. Even Eleven had her own bike. I slowly wrapped my arms around Will’s waist and surveyed the yard. Everything was dark and the air was cold, causing a sharp chill to run down my spine. I turned my head forward again to see the other girl Max smirk at Will. Not paying any mind to it, I sniffed and was grateful when we finally started to move. We followed each other one by one in a line on the side of the road.

To my absolute horror, we passed by Hawkins Lab. Fear seized me and my breathing started to increase. My grip on Will tightened but we didn’t stop. We kept going and eventually my heart rate returned to normal. Darkened houses were popping up more and more now as we entered a neighborhood. Mike turned into a driveway, Eleven close behind him. Will came to a stop behind Max and hopped off, pulling me down with him. The group parked their bikes on the back wall and followed Mike to the entrance. Mike opened the door to his basement and we all filed inside. I took in the layout of the room. 

There was a couch pushed up against the back wall and posters plastered right above it. A table with a board game and playing pieces was near the staircase. What really caught my eye was the larger table by the door we entered in. There were blanket draped on the surface and the sides of the table with stools to keep them balanced. A comforter was on the floor and some throw pillows and blankets were strewn throughout the fort. To my surprise, Eleven made a beeline for it, and casually sat down on the comforter. She looked over at Mike and patted the spot next to her, a broad smile on her face. Mike immediately moved over to where she was and sat beside her, leaning over to place a kiss on the top of her head. She smiled wider and pressed her face into his shoulder. They looked so happy together. I turned my head to the right to look at Will but found he was already looking at me. The corners of my mouth quirked up into a smile and I quickly looked looked back to the the table.

I wandered over to the table where the game was set up, a small book on the cardboard square next to the dice. As I got closer I saw that it was labeled  _ Darkness & Demogorgons: Players Manuel.  _ I pulled out the chair in front of me and sat down, running my hand over the cover of the book. As I began to flip through the pages I faintly heard one of the boys, Dustin, mutter, “What’s the freak doing?”

There was a smacking sound and a yelp, also from Dustin. 

“She’s not a freak!” Someone screeched.

_ Will. _

A smile played on my lips as I continued to turn the pages. I could feel the Party gather around me, their gazes fixated on my hands as I turned page after page until I finally stopped, staring at the image in front of me.

“The Grick?” Mike questioned. “What’s so important about the Grick?”

I didn’t realize I had begun to shake until I felt a firm grip on my shoulders. I yelped at the contact until Will crouched in front of me, hands still on my shoulders.

“Quinn? Are you okay?”

My eyes met his and I felt tears balancing on my lashes. I swallowed thickly and shook my head. 

_ The Grick _

 

_ I was in the Bath. Eleven had been bad, Papa said. She had broken open a gate to another dimension and released a creature hungry for blood. Then she made her escape from Hawkins Lab. My job, he said, was to find the monster in the Void and report back it’s location. The First Five hadn’t harnessed her potential, I was told, and as long as I cooperated, I wouldn’t meet the same end First Five had. My hands had trembled as one of the scientists taped the electrodes to my head. I tried to bar out any distracting thoughts as I propelled myself into the Void. _

_ Water. Black water licked at my feet and sloshed as I stepped. I looked around slowly, trying to reach the monster. A horrible crunching of bones and slurping broke the silence and I turned towards the sound. A dark figure was hunched over something, it’s body moving forward as it ate. My breath stuttered and I moved closer to the monster. My hand reached out to touch it when it slowly began to fade away into smoke. I was alone in the Void and I hadn’t answered Papa’s question. I was going to die like the First Five. _

_ My chest seized and I began to hyperventilate. As I clawed at my head, another shape began to come out of the darkness. My breathing stuttered and I looked up, a scream getting caught in my throat as I came face to face with an entirely new monster. _

_ A snake-like figure loomed over me, a sharp beak at the center of four, clawed tentacles. It let out a screech and made towards me and I screamed until my throat was raw, my eyes flying open and my hands banging on the glass screen of the Bath. _

_ The same screech from moments ago came once more and I watched in horror as the monster I had just seen shot through the gate. It snatched a scientist up with a tentacle, drawing him towards its beak. Blood splattered as it crunched the poor man, swallowing its prey. Others dove out of its path, some reaching for their guns but the creature was too quick, fleeing the building at an alarming rate. _

_ Papa turned to me, his white hair messy and his mouth open. He set his jaw determinedly as I was yanked out of the Bath. _

_ “Get the chair ready.” _

 

“Quinn?” 

I inhaled sharply, jolting upright and looking at Will’s worried face. “Are you alright?” He questioned, his fingers still digging into my shoulders. I nodded. “Are you sure?”

I nodded again. “Swear.”

Will scanned my face once more before reluctantly letting go of me. He turned his head towards Mike. “Get her some tissues.”

At his words my hand flew to my face and I felt my cheeks. I had been crying? My head jerked back in surprise when I felt the pressing of light paper on my face only to realize Will was wiping my face. I smiled tiredly at him and he smiled back, continuing to dry my tears.

“Hold up,” Dustin interjected. “Why was she pointing at the Grick?”

I swiped my sleeve across my face as Will stood and walked to the trash can, throwing away the tissues. I turned my head to look at the Party. I met Eleven’s eyes and let out a shamed sigh.

“The Grick… I let it out.”


	6. Will Byers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning more about the Grick, the Party decides where to hunt for the new monster.

I felt the blood drain from my face. So there was another monster, and considering my luck with the ones we’d already faced, I was sure I’d be three for three. How dangerous was the Grick in the real world? It was pretty lethal in D&D but what about in Hawkins? Mike was already flipping through the copy of  _ Darkness & Demogorgons: Players Manuel _ , trying to get more information on the Grick.

“Found it!” He exclaimed, slapping the book onto the table. We all gathered around him, peeking over his shoulder to get a better look. I already knew what the Grick looked like, but imagining it real and in the town sent a shiver down my spine. There on the page, glossed in the light, was a picture of the Grick. It’s body resembling a snake on steroids; four tentacles poised to strike around a sharp beak in the center. Mike began to read from the book.

“The Grick is an aberration that resembles a snake and can reach up to eight feet long. It has four barbed tentacles surrounding its beak. The Grick is darkly colored and can be easily camouflaged. It likes to stay near the rocks or in caves. While the Grick can defend itself with its body, it’s tentacles, and mainly beak, are it’s weak spots.”

Once he finished speaking, Mike leaned away from the book and looked at us. He scanned our shocked faces, settling decidedly on Five.

“Quinn,” he called. Five’s head snapped up, eyes wide, hands clasped behind her back. “Is this,” he picked up the manuel and showed her the picture, “what you let out?”

Five nodded minutely and began playing with her shirtsleeves.

“Do you know where it went?”

Five shook her head. She reached her hand up to her face and began nibbling on the sleeve. She looked nervous, eyes darting to look at each member of the Party. She caught Dustin’s eye and winced. I looked over to see him glaring at her.

“Leave her alone, Dustin,” I snapped. He looked over at me incredulously, throwing his hands up in question.

“I didn’t say anything!”

I gave him the side eye for a few seconds before turning back to Five. She met my eyes and smiled a bit, lowering her hand back down.

“When did you let the Grick out, Quinn?” I asked.

Five pursed her lips and lifted her eyes to the ceiling in thought.

“After Eleven left. I was trying to find the other monster.”

“Demogorgon,” Eleven whispered. Mike laced their fingers together and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

“It wasn’t your fault, El,” he assured her, swooping down to peck her on the lips. When he pulled back, Eleven was smiling and her face was a bit pink, but she nodded. Mike rubbed his thumb over hers and smiled down at her.

“Get a room!” Lucas shouted.

Mike glared at him and huffed, turning back to Five.

“So, you let the Grick out after the Demogorgon took Will?” Mike asked.

Five looked over at me abruptly, face horrified. “It took you?” She whispered, her voice shaking.

I nodded slowly, scratching my neck. “Yeah, it took me to this other dimension. We call it the Upside Down.”

“Upside Down,” Five repeated. Her forehead scrunched in confusion and I decided to elaborate.

“It’s an alternate dimension of our world except....worse. Much worse. It’s where the Demogorgon was from and it’s safe to assume the Grick came from there too.”

“The Grick may be from the Upside Down,” Mike said, “but where do you think it could be in Hawkins?”

“Are there any caves that we could check out? A rocky area at least? Maybe somewhere abandoned?” Max questioned, folding her arms across her chest.

I thought long and hard. There were no caves I could think of. The only abandoned place I could think of was Hawkins Lab, but would the Grick really go back there? Unlikely since it was boarded up but was it possible that it went there before it got shut down? The only other place the Grick would possibly go would most likely be the Quarry. It was rocky and cold, especially during the winter ad not many people went there. The Quarry was out best bet.

“The Quarry,” I said. Everyone turned to look at me. “As far as any of us know, there are no real caves in Hawkins. The only abandoned place is Hawkins Lab.” Five flinched and Eleven placed her hand on her arm comfortingly. I gave Five an apologetic look before continuing. “I doubt the Grick went back there and what’s the only place we know that is rocky?”

There were murmurs from the Party, a jumble of the word  _ Quarry _ and I nodded resolutely to Mike. He set his jaw and nodded back. He turned and grabbed a chair from the D&D table, stepping up on it. We all looked up at him, awaiting further instruction. I moved to stand next to Five. She gave me a nervous smile and inched closer to me until our shoulders were just barely brushing. She let out a breath.

“All right,” Mike announced. “All in favor of investigating the Quarry?”

He raised his hand into the air and looked around the basement at all of us, gauging our reactions. My hand shot into the air and Mike gave me a relieved look. Eleven followed shortly after, lifting her hand so fast she jostled the blue bracelet on her wrist. Slowly, one by one, the rest of the Party raised their hands until Five  was the only one left with her hand down. We all turned to her and she looked at me in disbelief.

“Me?” She asked.

“Of course. We need your vote, Quinn,” Mike said sweetly. “You are a member of the Party, after all.”

Five let out a gasp. For a second I thought she was upset but then a wide smile spread across her face until her eyes crinkled. It was a beautiful smile, one full of joy. She looked so happy, maybe because she was finally a part of something. She threw her hand into the air and Mike grinned. Eleven let out a little squeal and pulled Five into a crushing hug.

“Then it’s settled. We leave for the Quarry at dawn."


	7. 005

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the Party sets out to investigate the possible hiding spot of the Grick, Five wrestles with what she should tell Will about a place from her past.

**_Hawkins, Indiana_ **

**_November 11, 1983_ **

 

_I was jolted out of my sleep as the loud clang of a metal door hitting tile resounded throughout my bedroom. There were footsteps, too many, and I knew something was wrong. The footsteps ceased at the end of my bed but I kept my eyes shut tight. There was a brief moment of silence before someone started barking orders._

_“Get her out and to the secondary location, now.”_

_Papa. It was Papa’s voice. I felt cold hands grab me from all sides and my eyes immediately snapped open. I let out a shriek as lab assistants lifted me out of my bed. I looked around wildly, spotting Papa at the door, his face hard and arms crossed._

_“Papa! Papa, help!”_

_He didn't move though. He made no effort to stop the assistants. Why wasn't he helping me?_

_ “Eleven was bad. There are others involved. I cannot let them get you too,” He said mildly. I squirmed in the lab assistants grasps. A man holding a dar grey trenchcoat stepped into the room to stand next to Papa. He was younger than Papa and bigger, especially around the middle. His hair was dark, not white. He smiled at me and I recoiled. It wasn't a warm smile, it was sinister and horror gripped me. _

_ “This is Bruce,” Papa explained. “He will take you to the Other Lab and take care of you until I get back.” _

_ Other Lab? There was only one lab, Hawkins Lab. _

_ “Where are you going, Papa?” _

_ Bruce handed the coat to Papa and he put it on, his face growing dark. _

_ “To find Eleven.” _

 

**Hawkins, Indiana**

**November 25, 1985**

 

The Quarry, as it turns out, was where Will and Dustin had found me. The thought of the Grick lurking in the Quarry while I had been there unconscious made my stomach lurch. It could have  _ killed _ me.

Gravel and sand crunched under our feet as we hopped off the bikes. I looked around at the large semi-circle of rock, terrified the Grick would be here. There were limited options as to where it could be but what Will had said wouldn’t leave me.

_ As far as any of us know, there are no real caves in Hawkins. The only abandoned place is Hawkins Lab. _

I had to tell them about the Other Lab, especially now that it was abandoned. After I had… My stomach lurched at the thought of what I had done and I pushed the memory down. I needed to focus on telling them about the Other Lab.

“All right, spread out and look for possible hiding spots,” Mike said authoritatively and we all nodded. “Pair off and remember, be careful and quiet. Mrs. Byers is right up the street and we don’t want any of the adults getting into trouble again.”

Mike and Eleven naturally paired off, Mike knocking his flashlight against his palm to make it light up. Max and Lucas started to head to the right which left Will, Dustin and I. Both boys turned to face me. Will smiled and Dustin scowled. I picked at the sleeve of my shirt as Dustin huffed, rolled his eyes, and snatched up his flashlight.

“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled, stomping over to the water’s edge. I glanced at Will out of the corner of my eye. He watched as Dustin strode away and he sighed agitatedly.

“I don’t know what his problem is,” Will scoffed. He shook his head, his hair swaying from side to side.

“Me,” I said. I raised the sleeve of my shirt to my mouth, resting it there in worry. Dustin didn’t like me. Probably because I electrocuted his talking rectangle.

Will looked at me sideways, turning his own flashlight on. “I don’t know why he’s acting like this though. It’s so unlike him.”

I shrugged and Will gave me a sympathetic smile, looping his arm through mine. “It’s okay though. He’ll come around. He has too, you’re a Party member now. It’s a done deal.”

I giggled, taking large strides to keep up with him. I tightened my hold on his arm as he used his flashlight to navigate the darkness of the Quarry. What was I so scared of? It was extremely unlikely that the Grick was here when it could be off in the abandoned remains of the Other Lab. That place was far more isolated than the open wilderness, especially with such little coverage. The Other Lab would be the Grick’s perfect hiding spot, where it could devour its prey in peace.

__Its prey…_ _ It was feeding on people and the longer I kept my mouth shut about the Other Lab, the more likely it was that townspeople would go missing. I had to tell Will and the others. If I didn’t, they would keep searching the Quarry forever,

possibly go back to Hawkins Lab. Even if it was shut down, Hawkins Lab wasn’t quiet enough for the Grick. It would be like sending the Party on a wild goose chase.

I kicked a pebble into the water as Will continued to pull me towards concealed parts of the Quarry, shining his flashlight into questionable openings. I sighed, took a deep breath, and tugged on his sleeve. He turned to face me and I yelped when the bright light met my eyes.

“Oh, gosh!” Will exclaimed, quickly moving the top of the flashlight down to face the ground. “I’m so sorry, Quinn! Are you okay?”

I blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the bright spots that were dancing in front of my eyes. I unlooped my arm from Will’s and rubbed my eyes. When I saw the distressed look on his face, I waved a hand dismissively.

“I’m alright, Will.” He let out a sigh of relief. “But…” I hesitated. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Will tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What is it, Quinn?”

I looked down at the ground, tracing patterns in the sand with my shoes. I wiped them away with the sole of the shoe, lifting my head to meet his bewildered gaze.

“I think… I think I know where the Grick is.”

  
  
  
_   
_

__  
  



End file.
